20 March 2014 - Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel García-Margallo and his delegation will undertake an official visit to the Philippines from March 24 to 25 at the invitation of Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario.
Minister Margallo is traveling with his spouse, Mrs. Maria Isabel Barreiro Fernandez, officials from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MAEC), the Spanish International Cooperation and Development Agency (AECID), and Spanish Economic Ministry (MINECO).The Minister will bring with him CEOs and representatives of 15 major Spanish business conglomerates.
While in Manila, Minister Margallo is scheduled to call on President Benigno S. Aquino III and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima. Minister Margallo will discuss bilateral relations with Secretary del Rosario within the framework of high-level political consultations. The Minister will also speak before members of the Makati Business Club (MBC) and Philippine captains of industries during a luncheon in his honor where he is expected to introduce the Marca España initiative of the Spanish Government.
A highlight of Minister Margallo’s visit is his trip to Tacloban City on March 25. Spain is one of the biggest donors to the rescue and rehabilitation efforts in areas hard hit by super typhoon Yolanda.
He will also visit Bangkal High School in Makati to check on the progress of the implementation of the Department of Education’s Special Education Program in Foreign Language in partnership with the Embassy of Spain and Instituto Cervantes in Manila. The Minister will likewise inaugurate the Spanish-assisted Humanitarian Assistance Emergency Warehouse project at Clark International Airport.
Relations between the Philippines and Spain have enjoyed an active exchange of trade and investments. Total trade between the two countries from January to October 2013 is valued at US$385,130,000 while the total investments from Spain from January to September 2013 amounted to US$200,000. Philippines’ total exports to Spain are valued at US$ 122.26 million, while the total imports from Spain amount to US$262.87 million.
The top Philippine products exported to Spain are coconut (copra) oil, yellowfin tunas, seaweeds, carrageenan and other algae, and pineapples. The Philippines’ top commodity imports from Spain are mixtures of odoriferous substances and mixtures used in the food or drink industries, women’s or girls’ outerwear, tubes, pipes and hoses, spirits obtained by distilling grape wine or grape marc, and other preparations of a kind used in animal feeding.
There were 17,126 Spanish tourists who visited the Philippines last year, and there is great potential in increasing tourism exchanges between the two countries. An estimated 40,000 Filipinos live in Spain. END